June 02, 2010 - Brandon Twp.- During the years that Brian Hosner, owner of Brian's Small Engine Repair, has worked on outdoor equipment, he's had a few scrapes and bruises.

However, on the morning of May 24, the 35-year-old entrepreneur faced an injury that could have ended his life.

Hosner was working on a tractor used to move equipment around the yard of his small business located on a dead end street south of Ortonville, just off M-15. He had just completed an engine change on the equipment when a piece of the engine mount broke away, sending a one- and-one-half-inch chunk of metal shrapnel into his left arm just above the elbow. The projectile lodged in his arm, severing an artery.

"I could still feel my fingers but could not move my hand," said Hosner. "I was losing lots of blood. My uncle was there and put direct pressure on the wound, then wrapped an extension cord around my arm just above the wound to stop the bleeding. However, that was not tight enough, so he used a ratchet strap to attempt to halt the bleeding. I was ready to pass out when the firefighters arrived."

Hosner's girlfriend Becky DeRousha, who was working at the garage, called 9-1-1 and said she was placed on hold three times. Still, Brandon Firefighters/EMS arrived on the scene within about 5 minutes.

Shift commander and 23-year veteran Brandon Firefighter Captain Jerry Wivo was one of the first to arrive at Hosner's garage.

"A Brandon firefighter was already there when I arrived—Hosner was looking pale, sweating and had lost a significant amount of blood," said Wivo.

"It was life-threatening injuries—no doubt. He was in the early stages of shock, an artery had been severed—this was a bad one. His friends and family saved his life—they had to move fast. If he was alone at the garage it would not have been good."

Hosner was transported to Genesys Medical Center in Grand Blanc and after four hours of surgery to replace the severed artery, he is expected to fully recover.

One estimate was that Hosner had lost two liters of blood. According to WebMd.com, the human body has about five to seven liters of blood.

"Also, Brandon firefighters Matt Bess, Billy Starr, Jerry Wivo, Brandon Schudlich and Dan Flood for saving my life. I also apologize in advance to my customers for the inconvenience of possible slightly extended wait times while I recover from this injury," he said.